“Perhaps the pinnacle of Namarari’s immense oeuvre, Big Cave Dreaming with Ceremonial Object demonstrates his command of space, design and visual storytelling. Using fine linear patterning and an innate sense of colour, Namarari depicts the secluded presence of men’s ritual objects in the desert. 

Senior Aboriginal men in possession of specific knowledge and ritual experience are responsible for the use and care of secret men’s objects. Such objects are central to ritual activity connected with specific plants, animals, places, ancestral beings and beliefs. 

Typically ovoid-shaped and made from wood or stone, they are considered extremely dangerous for women, children and often secretly stored in specific places, including caves within rocky outcrops and small escarpments. According to Aboriginal men, these objects are not made by humans; rather, they are ‘Tjukurrtjanu’ - from the Dreaming.” (Vanessa Merlino and Luke Scholes, 60 over 50: 60 Paintings from 50 Years of Australian First Nations Art, 2023, p. 50)